On Friday, the Constitutional Court unanimously supported the decision to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from office due to the brief imposition of martial law in December, reports Yonhap.
The verdict, read by acting Chief Justice Moon Hyun Bae and broadcast live on television, took effect immediately, and presidential elections must be held within 60 days. «The negative consequences for the constitutional order and the consequences of the accused's violations of the law are serious, so the benefits of protecting the Constitution by removing the accused from office significantly outweigh the national losses from removing the president», — said Moon.
Yoon himself did not appear in court for the announcement of the verdict.
The ruling People Power Party stated that it «humbly accepts» the court's decision, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) welcomed it as a «victory of the people».
In mid-December, the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached Yoon on charges of violating the Constitution and laws after he declared martial law on December 3, sent troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting to overturn it. According to the Constitution, the president can declare martial law during war or in the event of an equivalent emergency in the country. Yoon justified his actions by accusing the main opposition party of paralyzing state affairs with their repeated impeachments of officials in his administration and attempts to cut the state budget.
In addition to the impeachment process, Yoon is involved in a criminal case on charges of inciting rebellion in connection with his proposal to impose martial law.
He was detained by investigators in January and held in a detention center until March 8, when he was released by a court decision that deemed his detention illegal.
Photo: Yonhap